Coking retort oven



Oct. 1l, 1938. l VAN ACKEREN 2,132,522

COKIN@ REToRT OVEN INVEN'roR JoJePH VAN Aexnnm,

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v LfToRNEY Oct. l1, 1938. .1. VAN AcKERl-:N 2,132,522

coxING RETORT QVEN Filed May 14, 195e 7 sheets-sheet s l lNvEN'roR 3 v Jenaer-1 VAN Acnam BY wir Oef. 11.-, 1938. J. VAN AcKEREN coxINa RETORT ovmN Filed May 14, 1936 7 Sheets-Sheet 5 J INVENTORA Y our vm cnam, EYfwztw 4:4 TToRNl-:Y l

Oct. 11,1938. .1. VAN ACKEREN 2,132,522

GOKING RETORT OVEN yFiled May 14, 1936 7 Sheets-Sheet G .amps-umg im; num.;

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l Ill/ff: fl/ I, 11]/ r, 'I1/l1 l f, l l 1 I l 'Il' l l ATTORNEY Patented oct. 11,1938

'UNITED STATES 4 2,132,522 como aa'rolt'r ovEN Joseph van Aclreren,

Pittsburgh, Pa., asisignor to Kappers Company, a corporation of Delaware Application May 14,

14 Claims.

This invention comprehends improvements of general utility-ln the coking retort oven art; and

comprehends more specifically improvements in stant invention isespecially applicable to cokngretort ovens provided with vertically disposed heating fiues having regenerators beneath, and its advantages will be realized either in combination ovens or in ovens equipped only to beunderfired with rich gas. A principal advantage pro- .vided by my present improvement resides in its furnishing means for bringing different commercially used underring gases into contact with the combustion air', in the underflring system, in a manner recognizing 'the differences in their individual combustion characteristics, andconsequently provides means etlicient and uniform distribution of the heat liberated by the burninggases to the retort heating walls. vAs speciflc'examples of the type of coklng retort ovens in whichv the present improvement finds special application, the well-known crossover cross-regenerative type ovens exemplified in the patent 'to Joseph Becker No. 1,904,191dated Apri1l18, 1933, and his. prior Patent No. 1,374,546 dated April 12, 1921, are cited, and also his application S/N. 2,564 filed January 19, 1935.

In commercial installations for theA carbonization of. coal, the carbonization process is promoted by burning that is; gases of relatively high or low caloric .valu'e respectively, in the 'combustion iiues of the coking structure. Rich gas,' such as is formed and evolved during the carbonization process, may be returned inpart to the underiiring system and there burned to further promote the distillation of the coal charge. A lean gas of 4vlower thermal content and produced extraneously of the carbonizationsystem,. as for example producer and blast furnace gases, is also used for the same purpose. gation in rich gas is so rapid that numerous means and devices have been especially developed to the end. of retarding its burning 'rate and avoiding too localized anevolution of the heat resulting from its combustion. `In the leaner gases, as for example `the above-mentioned, the flame propagates relatively slowly, so much so, that for ,theirv effective and efficient employment in the underring of a coke oven battery, a prefor promoting a moreeither rich or lean fuel gases,"

' The rate of flame propa- 1936, Serial No. 79,669

heating step is necessary for their satisfactory The progress of the lean gas ,combustion reaction, even after preheating, is still comparatively slow and the 4evolution of much heat' relatively tardy in developing after admixture with 6 vthe combustion air.

In combination ovens which are designed a'nd equipped to be heated optionally by either rich or -lean gas, the coke-oven designer is confronted with the problem of providing an underiiring system which will equally effectively employ either a highly combustible richA gas or a lean gas to heat the same ovens and coke the coal charge uni` formly. In consequence of the above-mentioned distinctions betweenthe combustion of gases oi 15 high and low calorific value, it is apparent that the rich gases have a tendencyto burn too rapidly in the lower zones of the heating flues and give rise to temperatures at that point that are higher than preferred. In the case of lean gas underring, the contrary condition exists, i. e. the slower evolution of itsheat content during combustion, tends to give rise to the phenomenon called cool bottoms. An additional complication to the uniform heating of an oven charge is provided by the fact that the pusher-side o'i an oven contains less coal than the 4coke-side, in consequence of which fact, more of the underiiring fuel gas must be burned on the coke side than onthe pusher side in order that the 'coking process will uniformly progress through the coal mass in any particular oven and all parts of said chargebe ready to be discharged from the oven simultaneously. 3

From these facts, it becomes obvious, therefore, that a standard or permanent setting of the gas control means is difcult to establish and more especially soin a combination battery, and that, consequently, gas iiow regulatory means are o of necessity provided within the battery struc; ture if a uniform coking of the ovenl charges is to be eiected under all conditions of operation. Such ,means should be easily reached'and adjusted from the exterior of the battery v and must 45 adequately provide for-the above-mentioned dissimilarities to the end that uniform coking conditions are maintained at all points of the coking chamber walls. The regulatory devices vused for this purpose are vgenerally found at the bottoms 50 of the flame flues and adjacent to or within the ports throughwhich the fuel gases and the air for their combustion are discharged into the` flame ues from the ducts and conduits provided Within the battery structure for their` distribu- 55 tion intothe combustion ilues along the heating walls.

Among the objects of my present invention is the provision of an improved design for those ducts at the lower `'parts of the vertically extending heating `ilues of regenerative ovens through which the combustion air in the case of rich gas underflred ovens, and the combustion air and the lean gas in combination ovens, are introduced into the flame flues from the underlying regenerators. The improved duct of my invention and the orifice through which it ports into the iiame flues is designed to supply to the up'- burning flame ilues, a vertically rising and freely ilowing colunm of gases from adjacent regenerators feeding the same heating i'lues, and to provide means for regulating the volume of gases flowing from said orifices, which will neither' provide interruptions in the :flow-path of the discharged gases nor engender, at the mouththereof, turbulence, eddies or other distortions within the gas stream, which will tend to divert the flowpath of the discharged gases from a normally vertically directed gas stream-path. The lean gas and air conduit of my invention is con-- structed to deliver the underring air to the iiame flues in the above-described manner, so as to provide within the heating flues of the ovens of a combination battery when they are operating as "coke ovens, that is to say during those intervals underiiring is being effected with rich gas, vertically' directed and vertically rising air r streams or currents, adjacent the columns of rich gas issuing from the rich gas nozzles, so that the columns of air and rich gas, upon entering the heating ilues, will be free of any abnormal tendency to deviate from a vertical flow-direction. The mixing oi' the combustible gases provided with such individual flow-paths progresses gradually at their margins of contact and a tendency is thereby provided to somewhat retard the progress of combustion and to increase the interval required for that reaction to reach its end-point, or until a uniform commingling oi the gases within a heating flue is attained. The result is to produce a more gradual evolution of heat along -the walls of a ccking chamber than in those instances where the flow-paths of the underflring gases are such asltoproduce a more rapid diil'usion of the combustive gases in the lower part of the heating iiues. The end result is a lengthening of the flames in the up-burning flame flues.

When underring with producer or blast furnace gases, it is highly desirable to promote an eiIect in the heating ues quite opposite that above-described. In consequence of the facts that immediately after their mixing, lean gases and air do not produce temperatures as high as can be effected with rich gas, and that the heating iiues terminate in theirlower part at the same horizontal levels as the oven soles, it becomes obvious that initially mixing the underring air and lean gas at points too close to the bottoms of the heating flues, may give rise, in the ccking chambers, to zones, having somewhat lower temperature levels than preferred, at points adjacent the air and gas ports. Such situation will eiect the ccking of the upper part of an oven charge before the lower, with the result that the -coking time `must be increased to fully carbonize the lower portion of the oven charge and pre- 4vent-that portion thereof being under-coked when pushed.

A further object of my invention is, therefore,

to provide simple and practical means for mix- -ing the lean gas and air ilowing from their respective regenerators before they are introduced into the oven :dame ilues; and, as a further feature thereof, to provide said means with adjustable regulation which will permit not only regulation of the volumes of gases introduced into the combustion ues, but also Yto allow adjustment of the level, below the air and gas port, at which these underflring media are first allowed to come in contact as they flow from the regenerators into the combustion ilues.

A further object of my invention is to provide a common air and lean gas port, at the lower end of the combustion :dues of a coking retort battery, having such design and conformation that the afore-delineated objectives will be efl'ectively and simply realized, and furthermore will be of such disposition in respect of the gas conduits -within said port in such manner that its seat is i adequately protected from the accumulation of such adventitious material as. may be present in the underiring gases,and which at the temperatures existing within the ilues would tend to flux with the refractory material thereof causing it to freeze and consequently interfere with its facile removal or exchange.

The invention has for further objects such other improvements and such other operative advantages orvresults as may be found to obtain in' the processes or apparatus hereinafter described or claimed. According to the present invention, I provide below the lower part` of each flame flue of a ccking retort battery, a single vertically disposed and cylindrically-shaped duct that is substantially circular in horizontal cross-sectional area and is communicably connected at its lower end with the conduits that distribute gases from those regeneratorswith which each flue of a ccking retort structure is in communication, and which at its upper end ports into the lower part of the heatingv ues. Concentrically within each such cylindrically-shaped duct I support a cylindrically-shaped plug having a horizontal crosssection similar to that of the conduit, but of lesser diameter. By diminishing or increasing the diameter of this plug, the free space, in the ringshaped space remaining for the flow of gases from the regenerators, can be respectively increased or diminished;

In the accompanying drawings, forming a part of this specification and showing for purposes of exemplification, a prefered form and manner in which the invention may be embodied and practised, but without limiting the claimed vinvention to such illustrative instance or instances:

Figure 1 is a composite vertical section taken crosswise of a coke oven battery embodying features above specified and equipped with the improvements of the present invention, the figure showing at the left a section through the battery heating'walls, and at the right, a section through an adjacent ccking chamber, said sections being taken along the lines A-A and B-B of Figure 2 respectively. l

Figure 2 is a composite vertical section taken longitudinally of the coke oven battery in planes indicated by the lines C-C and D-D of Figure l;

. Figure 3 is an enlarged vertical sectional view 75 l selves to useful embodiment in a wide range of tion in; respect of the with lateral projections or of a portion of -the heatingwall shown in Figure 1;

Figure 4 is an enlarged vertical sectional view crosswiseof a heating wall and showing the construction of a partof the structure along the line D-D of Figure 1 and illustrating the lean gas and air port of my invention and the arrange#- ment of the conduits for flowing` gases from the regenerators to the flame device for regulating the volumes of gas flowing through said ports;

Figure 5'is a perspective of a-fragment of the section shown in enlarged section in Figure 4;

Figure 6 is an enlargedmerspective of` a portion of the section lshown in vFigure 5 with the plug, for regulating the volume of gases flowing into the ues, removed to Aillustrate'the construction' of the means for supporting the gas flow regu. lating plug in operating position;

Figure 7 is a horizontal sectional view taken o'n the line VII-VII of Figure 1, showing the out- Ilets from the vertical ues into the yhorizontal flow duct means;

Figure 8 is a horizontal sectional view taken on the line VIII-'VIII of Figure 1, showing gradluated control of the air and gas inlets into the vertical flues. Y

Figures 9 and 1Y0 illustrate the different forms the plug, used to vary the area of the free space in the gas port of my invention, may assume;

Figure 11 is a plan view of Figure 9 and shows .the aperture in the top thereof for accommodating a device for heating wall.

Figures 12 and 13 show a port plug provided fins which permit adwhich gases flowing through from adjacent -regenerators,

Justing the level at the same port" and are commingled; i

Figure 14 is a. plan view of Figures 12 and 13.

Figure 15 is a perspective similar to Figure 6 showing in operating position the modification of the port regulating device of my invention illustrated in Figures 12, 13 and 14, and demcnstrating the increase in height of the division" wall between regenerator conduits thereby effected.

Figure 16 is a sectionalong the line bXV'I---XVZII of Figure 4. y

Like reference numerals indicate like parts in the several views. A 1

In the embodiment illustrated in the drawings. the invention is incorporatedv in a combination coke oven battery, that is,` a battery having provision for being f'lred alternatively with yan extraneously derived relatively lean gas, such as producer gas or with a relatively rich gas such as coke oven gas. For convenience, the present description will be confined to the present illustrated embodiment of the invention in such a combination oven battery; features of the invention may be applied to other structure, for example, to ordinary so-called coke-ovens fired with coke oven gas, or ordinary sofcalled gasovens fired with producer gas; hence, the invention is not confined in its scope to the combination oven or the specific use and specific embodiment herein described as an illustrative example.

The present improvements are useful with various types of coke ovens, and although the present embodiment, illustrated for purposes of exposition, is the welt-known Becker cross-over type of oven battery, these improvements lend themcoke oven types and more especially in that class 75 of ovens having their heating fiues vertically disfiues and their disposi-` a preferred temperature extracting the plug from the posed in the heati g walls thereof, and whether or not they are intended to function as coke or v gasf ovens. i

The coking retort oven battery comprises a plurality of horizontally elongated coking 'chambers I0 in alternate side-by-side disposition with heating walls I2 therefor, and a plurality of side-byside cross-regenerators I3, Il, beneath and extending substantially parallel with the plurality or coking chambers and heating walls. Theregenerators are disposed -in pairs along'the length- Wise dimension of the battery, the pairs of cooperating regenerators being isolated by the oven v supporting walls I5, and the individual regenerators of said co-operating pairs are separated by vthe capital walls I6. In the capitals of the walls I6, theconduits I1, I8, are provided for flowing, into the flame lflues I9, such of the underring media as are introduced intoV the sole-channels 20, 2l, from flow-boxes provided therefor (and not shown), said gases being distributed, by the sole-channel ducts 22, over the checker-bricks of the regenerative spacesfor pre-heating them to the flame fiues through the conduits I1, I8. These conduits converge as lthey extend upward, and meet at a po t below the bottom of their respective flame ues, so that the gases flowing from the"respective regenerators are providedy with an opportunity to commingle before enter' ing the flame iiues through the ducts 23.

The heating walls of the battery comprise vertical heating flues I9 wherein the combustive underfiring media' are burned, and the so liberated heat is absorbed jby the refractory materials of the oven chamber heating walls I2 and conducted to the coal charge previously introduced into the adjacent oven through the charging holes 24. The ends of the coking chambers are closed dur.

' ing the coking period by the doors 275, which function not only to retain the charged coal mass within the oven but also act to prevent the escape, into the atmosphere, of the volatilized distillation products.` The gases, tar, etc.,evlved, during the carbonization process, are drawn through the ascension pipeZG by an exhausterand assembled in a collecting main (not shown), from which they are flowed to' various preferred treating steps for the segregation and recovery of valuable components. y

The heating fies I9 of the heating walls are separated from each other by the walls 21, and

the fiues comprising each heating wall are divided into sets of flues that are isolated from each other, for underflring' gas flow purposes, by the partition walls 35. In mutually adjacent heating walls, the heating iiues are arranged into corresponding groups, and the individual flues of any one such wall group are disposed to communicate at their upper ends with a horizontal bus channel v28 provided with an individual cross-over 29, centrally disposed of said bus channel, for carrying the products of combustion that assemble therein upward and over the top of the adjacentl oven and downward into la corresponding set of fiues in the opposite heating wall. The similar and' similarly positioned sets of heating flues in adjacent heatingV walls are interconnected in .this manner by cross-overs extending over the tops of alternate coking retort ovens' along the battery.

before they vsucceed to l nel and set of flame ues in the opposite heating wall communicably connected therewith by cross- `over 25, and atsuch times as the flow of gases'is reversed in the regenerative system, the up-burning set of flues becomes the down-flowing set and vice versa. 'For the purposes of convenience and exposition, I have embodied the features of my present invention in a coking retortv battery structure having a heating iiue disposition similar to that disclosed in the co-pending application S/N. 2,564 of Joseph Becker iiled January 19, 1935. In that disclosure, the heating ues in each heating wall are disposed in groups of four heating ilues each, except at each end of each wall where the end groups are in pairs, the several heating flues in each group being separated from each other by the verticalpartitions 21 transverse o1' the'heating wall, the partitions within each group stopping somewhat short of the top oi. the heating wall to provide the horizontal bus channels 28.

The gas iiow from or to the heating ilues traverses directly the cross-over conduit 29' positioned above the middle partition 21 of its group, and the tops of the alternate heating ilue partition wallsoi' each heating wall are ared, at 30, beneath the adjacent cross-over for each iiue group to promote equality of gas flow to or from the heating iiues of the same group irrespective of their distance from said cross-over. 'I'he gas ilow regulating means situated at the lower part of the flame fiues, for regulating the preferred volume iiow oi' combustion media to the ilues, are accessible through the inspection holes 36 extending to the top of-the battery. It will be observed that no sliding brick are provided at the top of the flame ilues for regulating the ow of gases into the cross-overs. In this embodiment of the invention, such regulation is eil'ected at the bottom oi.' the nues so that no impedance to gas ow is created within the ues, and the pressure at -which the combustive gases are maintained therein is signicantly reduced, with the result that the pressure diil'erential between the ilues and the coking `chambers is small, and the opportunities i'or transfer of gases ythere-between materially reduced. as also set forth in the Becker application S/N. 2,564 supra.

At suchtimes as the battery is operated as a coke" oven and the heating gas used is of the higher caloric values. such as is produced by the coal distillation process and' for its satisfactory combustion does not need regenerative pre-` heating, it is introduced into the horizontal channels 3`I located in the capitals of the regenerator division walls I., and is distributed to the individual ues oi' 'the sets of'iiues comprising the heating lwalls through vertical conduits '32, individual for each-nue, the same being provided with nozzles 3l whose oriilces are graduated from one side of the batteryto-the other so that the variations in the static pressure of the gas at diierent points along said channels and the. chang/es in lthe density of the gas eiIected as it flows through the hot region in which such channels are located, may be compensated for to the end that the pre1 ferred quantities of gas will-be delivered to each nue from that channel.

'Ihe regenerators are disposed to operate in groups of four, each pair of which communicates for gas flow with those' heating ilues immediately above, and which are interconnected by common cross-over conduits. The two middle regenerators I4, i4 in each such group are air regenerators,

Aceived by the 2,182,522 and owover to a'corresponding horizontal chanand the exterior regenerators I 3, i3 ofthe group are disposed to carry heating gas when the battery is underflred with lean gas, but are disposed to preheat air when the underilring is eii'ected with rich gas. At such times as the ovens are operating as gas ovens, the regenerators Il, I4

are adapted for preheating air and during each period of the regenerative heating cycle when the y iiow of gas in the interconnected heating iiues is reversed and the burning flame iiues become the down-iiowing ues and those regenerators that were formerly heating the combustive media are now carrying away combustion products and vice versa, an air regenerator is always interposed between a gas regenerator and those regenerators flowing the combustion products to the waste heat tunnel and the stack, thereby obviating the possibility of heating gas leaking into the downilowing regenerators and fluxing the checkerbricks. The regenerators are so disposed for underring with lean gas that, at any given time, the alternate ovens of those ovens having no cross-over ducts passing over the tops thereof, are all being heated by combustion products iiowing in the same direction through both of their adjacent heating walls; and in alternate groups of regenerators, each group of which comprises the four regenerators located beneath interconnected heating walls, the similar and similarly positioned regenerators are operating to carry the same kind of gases whilevthe intermediate groups of regenerators are being supplied with gases in the reverse regenerator sequence, that is to say,

in each group of regenerators the disposition oi.'

gases is respectively, at any instant, the mir'ror image of that in corresponding regenerators of adjacent groups thereof.

The regenerators are in two series lengthwise of the battery, one series for the pusher-side half of the battery, the cross regenerators of the one series abutting end for end, along the llengthwise middle o! the battery, with the,corresponding cross-regenerators of the other. series and being separated therefrom by the mediany longitudinal partition wall 31. A

As herein-above mentioned, each heating ilue of the heating walls of the battery is communi-v cably connected by an individual conduit with each of a pair o1' regenerators lying directly beneath each' wall. `According to my present invention, the pair of conduits I1, I8 for each iiue are sc disposed as to converge as they aproach the bottom of the iiues from the tops of the regenerators, and to meet in va common duct 23 at their upper end s. This duct is substantially cylindrical in shape,

separates the two adjacent conduits I1, il'i'or each flue, terminatesV at a point below the duct 23, so that the gases flowing from the' respective conduits are provided with opportunity to commingle before entering said duct to flow into the heating flue. The iinial of the division wall 38 is formed at its center to provide a socket 39 whose upper edges lie in a horizontal surface. For regulating the volume o! gases entering-the heating iiue associated with each duct 23, I provide the cylindrically shaped plug 40 provided at one end with a lug 4I supported in a vertical ,position .by th'e horizontal surface surrounding said socket. 'An increase or..

and its walls are substantially' formed to conform to and be re- 1` socket 39, wherein it is," removably 23 by the sta'ck vergence of said `conduits'and at a point adjacent improve the facility lwith which gases canbe drawn fromthe regenerators through the duct draft impressed on the iiues. .In consequence of the'facts that the surfaces of duct 23 and plug 4I) are substantially parallel and vertically disposed and that no obstacle intersects the stream of :gases afterit leaves the port, gases issuing from the port of the duct of my invention, flue space in averticallydirected path and' without being provided-with an inner turbulence or abnormal tendency to divert from stream-line flow, To the end of -promoting the establishing of, thiscondition Within the gas stream, itwill be -observed that the upper end of the plug. I8 penetrates but relatively short distance into the duct 23, so that any turbulence or eddies that may be caused by gases flowing into the void in the annular gas column created plug, will be overcome duct itself before the gases are discharged therefrom into the heating/flue. The result is, therefore, that gas quantities may be regulated and discharged from thel duct-.port as a vertically rising column, free of abnormal tendency to deviate therefrom as it enters the heating flue. At such times as the batteryis l being heated with gases of higher caloric value',

this improvement is'of important significance, since asr hereinabove mentioned,v such gases have a tendency to liberate their heat content more rapidly than preferred. When heating the battery with such gases all regenerators are operating on air, so that air flows through both conduits I'I, I8 into the duct 23 and the flame flues, and the heating gas is distributed from thegas channel 3| through the nozzles 34. As a result of the fact that the gas flow regulating means of my invention tends to cause the combustion air to rise through the heating flue as a vertically rising column, it servesto inhibit an initial intimate mixing of the said air with the fuel gas issuing from the adjacent gas/nozzle and, consequently, retard the combustion rate. The tendency to confine the combustion reaction to the lateral margins of the individual gaseous columns is thereby promoted, and a lengthening of the flame provided sosthat the inclination of .j fuel gases of higher calorinc value to overheat the lower parts of the ilues is reduced.

As hereinbeforementioned, the fuel lgases of Alower heating value, as for example producer and blast furnace gases, have a relatively .slow rate of flame propagationl and their successful combust'ion and use in a structure of this type requires a preheatingstep prior to introduction into theheating fines: When, therefore, the battery is heated with such lean gases, onel of the regenerators beneath each heating flue is reserved for preheating fuel gas' and the other'for preheating the combustion destined air-both gases being distributed -to the regenerators in the above-described and well known manner. As shown in Figures 2 and'5, the preheated air and lean gas flow from their respective regenerators respectively `through'conduits I1, I8 and enter the .therewith communicating flame flues through duct 23. When underfiring with lean gas, it is appreciated that in general, it is' the introduction-of -rich gas into the flame nues and consequently the supply of that medium is channel 3|. The air .and lean cut offronif-the the conduits I1, I8 in pregas flowed through heated condition, begin to commingle at the conthe edge of" entering the flues. are directed into the heating by the presence ofv` saidand corrected within the g of my invention,A

Figures `/12, 13, 14 show a. simply effecting this objective. As will be therein the-interval during which vtoprogress before the combustive gases are intro- The result is a tendthe practice to discontinue be noted that this point is at lappreciable distance below the bottomof the flame flues and that consequently the preheated combustive media have actually begun to evolve heat somewhat before l In consequence ofthe previously mentioned fact that gases of relatively low caloriiic value burn more slowly than the gases of higher caloric value, it is apparentthat this feature of `'my improvement, i.,e. a simplev and effective means for inaugurating the combustion process at a point significantly below the floor levell of the colring chambers makes it possible to obtain higher temperatures, at such levels, than are produced when lean gas and air are rst` mixed at points nearerfor. at the bottom of the heating ilu'es, and the tendency, occasionally observed in oven batteries equipped for either lean or rich gas vunderfiring, to have so-calledcool bottoms when they is thereby diminished. The plug 40 used to restrict the flow of gas from the regenerators may be varied in diameter to alter the cross-section of the annular free space, between said plug and `adjacent duct walls, so that the rate of fiowof the are heated with the former,

the conduits I1, I8 first converge, and-therefore permits' adjustment of that point, below the bottom of the heating flues, at which the preheated air and lean gas are initially allowed to mingle, and so providesmeans for altering the tempera- -tures maintained at the bottom of the iiues, when preheatedheating gas Ais used for underfiring. duct plug means for noted, the plug of my invention may be provided with diametrically opposed fin-like projections 42, which are fashioned in such manner as to rest on the curved portion 43 of the flnial of the division wall 38, so that whenthe plug is seated in the socket 39 the laterally extending fins have the effect of increasing the height of the wall section 38, thereby raising the level at which the air and heating gas are first allowed to come The general effect of this feature is to reduce, as the height of the fins is increased,

duced into the heating flues. ency to decrease thetemperatures at the bottom of said ues by reducing the temperature of the gases entering them.

As clearly shown in Figure 4, the bottoms of the heating ues are raised above the oven soles. 'I'his feature has the effect of increasing the heat` ing wall area available for absorbing the larger quantities of heat initially evolved by the combustion of rich gas and an improved distribution of such heat therebyl provided. It will be further noted that the bricks M are beveled at a point near the heating walls to facilitate conducting heat to the bottoms of the ovens more especially during such times as the carbonization reaction is promoted by burning gases of lower caloriflc value. r;

The port plugs of my invention may be made of any satisfactorily refractory material, as for example, silica,

combustion is allowed but I prefer lto use sillimahite since itfcan be cast or molded into objects that conform to prescribed measurements within 115 inch. Furthermore, sillimanite plugs have the added advantage plugs to freeze in the sockets. With my improvement, these gas flow regulatory means are always easily removed for exchange. For those instances where thediameter ofthe plug required for any duct is less than the diameter of its supporting seat, as shown in Figure 9, I bevel its lower part so that the retaining socket and supporting seat are always completely covered and protected,

against deposition of entrained substances of the heating gases. To assure adequate protection of theA juncture between the plug -and its supporting seat 50, the surface 49 of the plug is so fabricated that its circumference is slightly, raised above other points of that surface, so that the contact between the plug and its supporting seat will always be established at the outer edge thereof and adventitious penetrating into the juncture. l

To facilitate removal of the plug from the battery structure, I provide an oblong shaped hole 45 in the top of the plug and extend it lengthwise thereof to meet a transversely extending hole 46. At their intersection is the notch 41 which extends parallel with 46. A rod having a correspondingly shaped cross member at its end is inserted in 45 and in a manner to "engage notch 4-1. The plug'may be removed from its seat by the rod and removed from the battery structure through the inspection hole 36.

A further advantage provided by my inventionA is that the gas-flow regulating plugs are relatively smaller in cross-section than devices generally used for similar purpose, with the result that the inspection holes, at the top of the battery and through Awhich said plugs are withdrawn from the structure, may be, correspondingly reduced in cross-section and radiation losses therefrom correspondingly diminished.

In the structure incorporating my present improvement, all throttling or regulation of the flow of underiiring media to the heating ues is effected up-stream of the burning ame ilues and the circuit of the gases around the heating chambers is so designed'that no impedance or restriction to gas flow is created either in the flues or their communicatingV connections. the heating "*Hues I 9,the individual horizontal channels 28, the cross-over conduits 29 'and the outlets-48 for each pair of a flue group employing the same cross-over are suciently large that back pressure is substantially eliminated, when gases introduced into the flues through the nozzles 34 and the air and lean gas ports 23, are burned.

Due to the tapering of. the coal charge from the pusher-side to the coke-side of the battery, the amount of gas burned in the various ue groups must be progressively increased from'the formerv the interest of comin all parts of the material be prevented from To this end ends which are 2324";

charge simultaneously-- The theoretical increase of gas requirement from flue to flue is of such minor magnitude that for practical purposes it suilices to graduate the ports of my invention group-wise rather than individually, with the exception of the end ii'ues at the respective ends,- ofthe ovens.

The following'table, gives a preferred graduation of the vcombined air and leangas ports, as

shown diagrammatically 1n Figure 8.

l I l Net area Alrgtof Diamof port Port No. Without eter of with u plug plug in g place Square Square inches Inches inches 101 v 2s. a9 No plug 2s. 39 102--- 25. 89 2% 21. 51 103 to 106 incl 21. 51 2% 17. 96. 107 t0 110 inc1 21. 51 2% 17.08 111 t0 114 inc]. 19. 64 2% 16.09 115 t0 118 inc1 19. 64 2% 15. 21 119 to 122 vincl 19. 64 2% 14.` 73 IZ to 126 ncl 19. 64 25/8 14. 22 127 19. 64 2 16. 49 y 12s 25. 89 2% 21. 46

In this above 'given 'table it wi11 be also noted that the riet areas of the ports leading to the endr radiation from :the end ilues of the heating walls 3- and doors, and for the larger quarrtity'o'f coal at the. battery coke-side. j

As hereinbefore mentioned, the volumes of gas owing intothe heating iiues of the structure ern-- bodying my herein disclosed invention are regu-` lated 4at the bottoms of the heating flues, so that no throttling or dampering of such gases occurs after they have been flowed into ilues. To this end, the passages 48, through'which the-products of combustion flow from the vertical heating nues into the horizontal channels 28, are about four times the cross-sectional area` of the free-way in the air and lean gas ports at the bottom ofthe ues, and consequently have substantially no tendency to check the gases flowingtherethrough... As a result of the fact that the gas requirements along an oven heating wallincrease respectively from the pusher-side to the coke-side, it is obvious that'the 'passages 48 on .the latter side l' must provide unrestricted flow to larger quantities j of tgases than on the former, and that that effective cross-sectional passageway area whichwill conform to my requirements on the coke-side of the battery will be in excess of that which will-be ample for said 'passages on. the pusher-side. In the interest, therefore, of contributing as much solidity as possible to the masonry ofthe Ibattery structureand avoiding conduit and passage ca.-

' pacities inexcess of those necessary to provide the desired conditions for gas flow, I group-Wise graduate the passages- 48 and cross-overs 29 from one end ofn the ovens tothe other. As s'hown in Figure 7, the passages 48 are graduated, as fol-- lows: the dimension W for all such passages is 17", excepting those passages adjacent the oven the dimension .V increases progressively and group-wise from the pusher-end to the coke-end as indicated in 4said jgure; vfor the pusher end grou'p of la ,fluev pair the. dimension V' of said passage is '7l/2", and

terminate below the port mouth of the conduit 1 and have between terminus of the throat an expansion `chamber of than the cross-area of the 'from the pusher-side to the coke-side in the following manner; 11%", 11%", 111/2", 11%, 121/2", 13156, 14", 14n' The invention as hereinabove set forth or exemplied, .by illustrative instances, maybe variously embodied and practised within the 'scope of the claims hereinafter made.

I claim:

1. In a coking retort oven battery having a.

series of side-by-side coking retort ovens with intermediate heating walls in which heating fiues are vertically disposed, and regenerators beneath the heating walls, and conduits for ilowing gases from the regenerators into the heating flues of the heating walls, and ports at the upper ends of said conduits for discharging' heating gases into said heating ilues, iow restricting volume regulating means in said ports to restrict the 'flow cross-area for regulating'the volumes of gases flowing from the regenerators .and through said termediate heating Walls in are vertically disposed, and regenerators beneath ports, said How-restricting volume regulatingmeans terminating at their'upper parts a suilicient distance below have thethroat that is formed by the Vvolume r'egulating-means terminate below the port mouth of the conduit and have between and the upper terminus of the throat an expansion chamber of larger cross-area than the crossarea of the throat, so that turbulence and distortions of the gas streams created by the .presence therein of the regulatory means may be rectified by a larger unrestricted portion of the ports above said means before said gases issue from the mouths of the ports and the gases thus enter the heating flues without abnormal tendency to cli-" vert from a stream-line path.

2. In a coking retort' oven battery having a series of side-by-side coking retort ovens with inwhich heating flues the heating walls, and conduits for flowing gases from the regenerators into the individual heating ilues of the heating walls, and ducts with iixed walls individual to the heating ilues, said ducts communicably connecting regenerator conduits and the heating iiues, means for regulating gas ilowA from the regenerators through said ducts, said means comprising a core positioned at least in partwithin the ducts and out of contact with the xd wallsthereof so as to form with the fixed walls'a continuous channel extending continuously alround the core between the coreand the xed w 3. In a coking retort oven battery having a series of side-by-side coking retort ovens with intermediate heating walls in which heating flues are vertically disposed, and regenerators beneath the heating walls, and conduits for flowing gases from the regenerators into the 'heating flues of the heating walls individually, now-restricting volume regulating-'means restricting the ow 'cross-area for regulating the ilow of gases from the`regenerators to the individual heating flues, said flow-restricting volume regulating-means being removably supported inside said conduits and terminating at their upper parts a suilicient distance below 'the upper margins of Athe port mouths otthe conduit so as to. have the Vthroat that is formed by` the volume regulating-means the port-mouths so4 as Ato the port mouthl as the interspace between neath the heating walls least two regenerators are communicabiycon, nected with-each of saldheating flues by means. of conduits extending'upwards therefrom to con.- l

identical heating .just-the gas ilow the-port mouth and the' upper larger cross-area throat, to leave an unrestricted duct portion above the regulating means 'for rectification of.' turbulence and distortion of gas thatmayflow intermediate heating walls in'- which. heating nues are. vertically disposed, and. regenerators beneath'the heating walls, and conduits or'nowing gases between the regeneratorsandthe individual heating. ilues of theheating walls, duct means comprising an axially disposed coreproviding a ring-like duct inhorizont'al cross-.section 4extending continuously all aroundv the core and adapted` to regulatefthe volume of. gases ,allowedbetween the regenerator conduitsand the heating lflues.4 5. In a vcoking retort oven battery having va series of side-by-side coking retort ovens with intermediate heating walls invwhich heating flues are vertically disposed, `and regenerators beneath the heating walls, `and conduits IorflowingA vgases between the regenerators into the indi-' vidual heating nues of the heating walls, duct 'means comprising a ring-like duct .continuous in-horizontal cross-section with. anr inner core- -adapted to regulate' the volume of `fromv lthe regenerator conduits into the heating flues, each said duct being iormedas the interspace between the conduit walls and a therebetween positioned plug-like core-element of lesser cross-section than the adjacent conduity Walls.

6.' In a coking retort oven battery'having` a series of side-by-side cokingretort ovens with` l inte'rmediateheating walls in whichlheating Aues are vertically disposed] and .regeneratorsIbe-L .neath the'heating walls, and

communication ways for flowing gasesbetween the regenerators and the heating nues, duct means comprising a ring-like' duct continuous in horizontal crosssection with an inner core within said 'com-5 munication ways adapted to regulatethe-ga's flow between said heating iiues' and regenerator communication ways, 'each suchduct being formed the walls of the communication ways and a therebetween -rern'ovably supported plug-like core-element of lesser communication Ways.

ries of -side-by-side cokingy retort ovens with in-.

termediate heating walls in which lheating iiues are vertically disposed, and regenerators lbeso arranged thatat verge ina` common duct that enters the lower part off the heating flues, and division wai1sebetween. those regenerators communicatlnglwith nating in a n nial at the'convergence of .said conduits, means in the common duct adapted vto adbetween the regenerators `and the individual heating comprising, aplug-like member adaptedto be removably supported on the finial of the regenflues, saidwalls eachtermi-v 4 .55 cross-section than the adjacent'. walls of said nues, said means each wards from said regenerators and converge in a l erator division wall and extend axially into the common duct of the regenerator conduits to form the core of 44a vcontinuous ring-like interspace duct within the lower partof the common duct, substantially as specified.

8. In a coking retort oven battery, in com, bination: a series of side-by-side coking retort ovens with intermediate heating walls containing vertically disposed heating fiues; cross-regenerators, beneath the heating flues, so arranged that at v least two regenerators are communicably connected with each heating flue by means of individual conduits that extend upcomrnon duct that enters the lower'part of the heating ues; division walls, between said conduits, that terminate in a fnial beneath the lower part of the heating fines; supporting means on each such nial for receiving an elongated plug-like member; and plug-like members of lesser cross-sectional area than the common ducts of the regeneratorconduits, and adapted for supportby the nials of the conduit division walls and to extend upwards into said ducts and terminate in advance of the mouths of said ducts to form the core of lower continuous ring-like interspaces in the lower part of the common ducts between the walls of the ducts and said plug-like members, so that heating gases may be flowed therethroughl from the regenerators and the heating flues.

9. In a coking retort oven battery having a series of side-by-side coking retort ovens with intermediate heating walls inA which heating fiues are vertically disposed, and regenerators beneath the heating walls, and ducts for owing heating gases between the regenerators and the heating.

fines, elongatedplug-like devices of lesser crosssectional areas than the ducts centrally disposed therein and terminating at their upper partsl below the outlets of ducts so as to form in each of the ducts a lower continuous channel extending continuously all around the plug-like device and an upper unrestricted channel immediately over the'centrally disposed plug-like device.

10. In a coking retort oven battery havingya series of side-by-side coking retort ovens with intermediate heating walls containing vertically disposed heating fiues, and two series of regenerators beneath the heating walls, the one being adapted to preheat combustion air and the other disposed to preheat fuel gases of low calorific value, and individual conduits for owing the preheated combustion medium from each series of regenerators into each heating ue of the heating walls, said conduits rising upwards from their respectiveregeneratcrs to unite and enter the lower port of their respective heating ues through a common port so that combustion of the preheated media may be initiated before they enter the heating flues, and division walls between the preheated air and lean gas conduits terminating at the point of union of said conduits in a iinial having supporting means adapted`to support a gas iiowV adjusting-device, the improvementin means for regulating the flow of gases from the regenerators and for adjusting that interval the combustion process progresses before the heating gases from the regenerators enter the heating iiues, said means comprising, an elongated plug-like device of lesser horizontal cross-section than the preheated'common air and gas ports of the heating fluesfand adapted to' be removably supported on the final of the division walls of the conduits and to extend into said ports to form ring-like ducts, and laterally,

projecting fins on said means adapted to coincide with the nials of the conduit division walls to increase the height thereof, so that the mixing point of the preheated fuel gas and air may be brought nearer the bottom of the heating nues;

` substantially as specified.

11. In a coking retort oven battery of the combination type, in combination: elongated 'coking chambers alternately disposed of heating walls containing vertically disposed heating flues; regenerators beneath the heating walls communicably connected with the heating :dues of the heating walls, said regenerators 'being' disposed in two series, the one for preheating fuel gases of low calorific values and the other for preheating combustion air; means for flowing admixed preheated gas and air from the regenerators into the heating fiues, said means comprising, bifurcated conduits that extend from common ports at the bottom of the heating ues to regenerators for preheating fuel gas and air; division walls, between the gas and the air regenerators and their respective conduits, that extend from the bottoms of the regenerators upwards to the points of the conduit bifurcation;

and means for adjusting the gas flow intothe individual heating flues and increasing the height of the division walls between the preheated gas and air conduits,A said means comprising an elongated plug-like device of lesser horizontal crosssection than the common preheated gas and air ports of the heating flues and adapted to be removably supported on the flnial of the division Walls of the conduits and to extend into said ports to form ring-like ducts, and laterally projecting fins on said means adapted to coincide with the finials of the division walls to increase the height thereof, so that the mixing point of the preheated fuel gas and air may be brought nearer the bottom of the heating flues; substantially as specified. l

12.- In a coking retort oven battery as in claim 9, and`in which the plug-like devices are fabricated of sillimanite, A1(A1O)Si04, for adjusting the gas ow into the individual heating iiues and for increasing the height of the division walls between the preheated gas and air conduits.

13. In a coking retortoven battery of the combination type, in combination: elongated coking chambers alternateiy disposed of heating walls containing vertically disposed heating nues; regenerators beneath the heating walls communicably connected with the heating fiues of the heating walls, said regenerators being disposed in two series, the one for preheating fuel gases of low calorific values and the other for preheating combustion air; means for flowing admixed preheated gas and air from the regenerators into the heating flues, said means comprising, duct means having an upper duct communicating with a lower duct continuous in horizontal cross-section with a central core adapted to regulate the volume of gases flowedbetween the regenerators and the heating flues, and bifurcated conduits that extend from the-lower duct to the regenerators for preheating gas and air.

14. In a coking retort oven battery of the combination type, in combination: elongated coking chambers alternately disposed of heating walls containing vertically disposed heating flues; regenerators beneath the heating walls communicably connected with the heating nues of the heating walls, said regenerators being disposed in two series. the one for preheating fue] gases of low caloriflc values and the other for preheatins thanthe ducts and axially disposedtherein to form in each dwct a. continuous channel with a central core, the channel extending continuously ali around the plus-like device as the core between the latter and the duct wall.

Josera vm sommi. 

